Hotel Iyaonsen

The open-air bath here sits at the bottom of the Iya gorge, and reaching it requires a short cable-car ride down from the hotel. The bath extends out over the river, with the sound of the water below and gorge walls rising on both sides. The water is sulfur spring, free-flowing, with white flakes drifting through a slightly cloudy bath and a slippery, smooth feel on the skin. The indoor panoramic bath upstairs is a quieter option. Private baths and rooms with in-room open-air baths are also available. The Iya valley has old connections to the Heike clan (平家, Heike), who are said to have discovered the spring when they retreated into these mountains.